Donna Shelton
@donnashelton.bsky.social
Emerita professor of Spanish, now adjunct, reader of history and sci-fi, climate change worrier, master gardener. Third Act Upstate New York. Born at 315 ppm. She/her.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Gonna shout out @nysfocus.bsky.social for great state-level reporting for New York State. Extra helpful because nothing helps me beat rancid vibes like going offline and working on a good cause. Good local and state reporting helps me find those causes!
January 5, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Gonna shout out @nysfocus.bsky.social for great state-level reporting for New York State. Extra helpful because nothing helps me beat rancid vibes like going offline and working on a good cause. Good local and state reporting helps me find those causes!
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Some of the most gorgeous and interesting nonfiction books I’ve read this year.
First — Bonnie Lander Johnson’s Vanishing Lancscapes: The Story of Plants and How We Lost Them
I’ve never enjoyed a nonfiction book this much. I felt nostalgic for a time I never lived in. The world feels different now
First — Bonnie Lander Johnson’s Vanishing Lancscapes: The Story of Plants and How We Lost Them
I’ve never enjoyed a nonfiction book this much. I felt nostalgic for a time I never lived in. The world feels different now
December 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Some of the most gorgeous and interesting nonfiction books I’ve read this year.
First — Bonnie Lander Johnson’s Vanishing Lancscapes: The Story of Plants and How We Lost Them
I’ve never enjoyed a nonfiction book this much. I felt nostalgic for a time I never lived in. The world feels different now
First — Bonnie Lander Johnson’s Vanishing Lancscapes: The Story of Plants and How We Lost Them
I’ve never enjoyed a nonfiction book this much. I felt nostalgic for a time I never lived in. The world feels different now
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Thanks for sharing this document, @rweingarten.bsky.social.
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
Read about Commonsense Guardrails for Using Advanced Technology in Schools aiinstruction.org/sites/defaul...
aiinstruction.org
December 24, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Thanks for sharing this document, @rweingarten.bsky.social.
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
Reposted by Donna Shelton
“But I am a hater, which is a kind of integrity. It means I am willing to disagree with anyone, even if it is rude.”
It was one of the best things I read this year, in any format, and I am glad it is circulating again.
It was one of the best things I read this year, in any format, and I am glad it is circulating again.
I Am An AI Hater
I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.
anthonymoser.github.io
December 29, 2025 at 1:44 PM
“But I am a hater, which is a kind of integrity. It means I am willing to disagree with anyone, even if it is rude.”
It was one of the best things I read this year, in any format, and I am glad it is circulating again.
It was one of the best things I read this year, in any format, and I am glad it is circulating again.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
If all goes to plan, there’ll be two more books. I’m pondering timelines right now…
I know I'm late to the party on this, but I just loved @nicolaz.bsky.social's _Hild_ and _Menewood_. Gorgeous world-building and wonderful characters. It feels like there's a third book coming, although hopefully with a shorter lag than that between the first two? www.amazon.com/Hild-Novel-L...
Hild: A Novel (The Hild Sequence)
Amazon.com: Hild: A Novel (The Hild Sequence): 9780374280871: Griffith, Nicola: Books
www.amazon.com
December 28, 2025 at 10:27 PM
If all goes to plan, there’ll be two more books. I’m pondering timelines right now…
Reposted by Donna Shelton
This is an almost shockingly wise essay. I'm glad I've finally read it.
There Is No Mary Problem in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
George’s vision of his wife without him is essential to the film, but critics continue to miss its true—and profound—meaning.
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:34 AM
This is an almost shockingly wise essay. I'm glad I've finally read it.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Here is a link that still works!
Bari Weiss just failing upwards in the most ridiculous manner possible
archive.org/details/insi...
Bari Weiss just failing upwards in the most ridiculous manner possible
archive.org/details/insi...
Inside CECOT | 60 Minutes : CBS News : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Sharyn Alfonsi's Inside CECOT for 60 Minutes, which was censored by Bari Weiss, as it appeared on Canada's Global TV app.
archive.org
December 23, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Here is a link that still works!
Bari Weiss just failing upwards in the most ridiculous manner possible
archive.org/details/insi...
Bari Weiss just failing upwards in the most ridiculous manner possible
archive.org/details/insi...
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Chile is to create a 150,000 hectare national park at 'the edge of the world', with forests, peatlands, glaciers, and coastline.
Protecting wilderness is by far the best weapon we have against ecological collapse.
share.google/QqQvdJDwY5Mt...
Protecting wilderness is by far the best weapon we have against ecological collapse.
share.google/QqQvdJDwY5Mt...
Chile moves to create national park at the edge of the world to protect wildlife
At the edge of the world map, where land turns into subantarctic forests, icy seas and glaciers, Chile is preparing to create a national park to protect endangered wildlife and unique ecosystems.
share.google
December 20, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Chile is to create a 150,000 hectare national park at 'the edge of the world', with forests, peatlands, glaciers, and coastline.
Protecting wilderness is by far the best weapon we have against ecological collapse.
share.google/QqQvdJDwY5Mt...
Protecting wilderness is by far the best weapon we have against ecological collapse.
share.google/QqQvdJDwY5Mt...
Reposted by Donna Shelton
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social this should genuinely be embarrassing to Mamdani. Please go to him and tell him "Your bluesky account no longer uses alt text correctly because frankly I can't be chuffed" and see what he says. Say it with confidence since you clearly feel that way. See what he says.
December 14, 2025 at 2:02 AM
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social this should genuinely be embarrassing to Mamdani. Please go to him and tell him "Your bluesky account no longer uses alt text correctly because frankly I can't be chuffed" and see what he says. Say it with confidence since you clearly feel that way. See what he says.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
And/or borrow them from your local library! 📚📖
The Internet is becoming increasingly unreliable. Buy books and read them.
December 6, 2025 at 11:36 AM
And/or borrow them from your local library! 📚📖
Reposted by Donna Shelton
the primary thing that TPUSA provides to young conservatives is a blueprint for weaponizing the abject cowardice of university administrators against individual teachers and instructors, and university admins should take a long look in the mirror and think about what that says about them
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
November 30, 2025 at 8:51 PM
the primary thing that TPUSA provides to young conservatives is a blueprint for weaponizing the abject cowardice of university administrators against individual teachers and instructors, and university admins should take a long look in the mirror and think about what that says about them
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Schumer (NY) 202 224-6542
Booker (NJ) 202 224-3224
King (ME) 202 224-5344
Hassan (NH) 202 224-3324
Durbin (IL) 202 224-2152
Ossoff (GA) 202 224-3521
Shaheen (NH) 202 224-2841
Gillibrand (NY) 202 224-4451
Masto (NV) 202 224-3542
Warner (VA) 202 224-2023
Booker (NJ) 202 224-3224
King (ME) 202 224-5344
Hassan (NH) 202 224-3324
Durbin (IL) 202 224-2152
Ossoff (GA) 202 224-3521
Shaheen (NH) 202 224-2841
Gillibrand (NY) 202 224-4451
Masto (NV) 202 224-3542
Warner (VA) 202 224-2023
November 9, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Schumer (NY) 202 224-6542
Booker (NJ) 202 224-3224
King (ME) 202 224-5344
Hassan (NH) 202 224-3324
Durbin (IL) 202 224-2152
Ossoff (GA) 202 224-3521
Shaheen (NH) 202 224-2841
Gillibrand (NY) 202 224-4451
Masto (NV) 202 224-3542
Warner (VA) 202 224-2023
Booker (NJ) 202 224-3224
King (ME) 202 224-5344
Hassan (NH) 202 224-3324
Durbin (IL) 202 224-2152
Ossoff (GA) 202 224-3521
Shaheen (NH) 202 224-2841
Gillibrand (NY) 202 224-4451
Masto (NV) 202 224-3542
Warner (VA) 202 224-2023
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Going to step away from this mess in the Senate right now but will just say I intend to make life a living hell in any way I can for any @democrats.senate.gov that surrender to the GOP for nothing.
November 9, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Going to step away from this mess in the Senate right now but will just say I intend to make life a living hell in any way I can for any @democrats.senate.gov that surrender to the GOP for nothing.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
"The people who are paying attention to this cycle are getting anxious. On a scale from one to 10, the AI-bubble concern is: people posting memes of Christian Bale’s character from The Big Short, squinting in disbelief at his computer monitor."
I mostly avoid The Atlantic's stories but there are three writers there that I always trust & read, and Charlie Warzel is one of them. This is a great piece.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Here’s How the AI Crash Happens
The U.S. is becoming an Nvidia-state.
www.theatlantic.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:57 PM
"The people who are paying attention to this cycle are getting anxious. On a scale from one to 10, the AI-bubble concern is: people posting memes of Christian Bale’s character from The Big Short, squinting in disbelief at his computer monitor."
Reposted by Donna Shelton
The media is about to blitz us with stories about how awful Maduro is and I want you to remember that even if they're all true, they are being issued solely for the purpose of manufacturing consent for invading Venezuela and killing innocent people.
October 31, 2025 at 4:25 PM
The media is about to blitz us with stories about how awful Maduro is and I want you to remember that even if they're all true, they are being issued solely for the purpose of manufacturing consent for invading Venezuela and killing innocent people.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
friend shared this, immediately updated my settings
October 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
friend shared this, immediately updated my settings
Reposted by Donna Shelton
uh, AI *is* the enshittification trap?
October 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
uh, AI *is* the enshittification trap?
Reposted by Donna Shelton
I found this a really illuminating thread on what demonstrations do and why they matter.
In social movement studies, we talk about how marches and protests expand the threshold of acceptable risk so that people take more and bigger social risks IN PUBLIC, EN MASSE. This is extremely important for the bourgeois white folks holding signs and building social rapport.
Not a shitpost: #NoKings is feel-good performative activism for comfortable mostly upper and upper middle class white folks and that’s good, actually. Millions of people in the streets protesting a fascist regime is good. It is good for the normie baseline to be massive displays of public dissent.
October 19, 2025 at 2:59 AM
I found this a really illuminating thread on what demonstrations do and why they matter.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Cringe is back, folks, and it's going to save this country.
Sorry to be corny but the aerial shots of these crowds are almost indescribably moving and hopeful
October 18, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Cringe is back, folks, and it's going to save this country.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Not that anybody comes to me for Maine politics, but the fact that the Democrats successfully convinced a 77yo Governor to primary the 41yo progressive, is today's example of why the Democrats fucking stay failing.
Susan Collins is 72 and if Schumer gets his way, she'll be the YOUNGER choice!
Susan Collins is 72 and if Schumer gets his way, she'll be the YOUNGER choice!
October 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Not that anybody comes to me for Maine politics, but the fact that the Democrats successfully convinced a 77yo Governor to primary the 41yo progressive, is today's example of why the Democrats fucking stay failing.
Susan Collins is 72 and if Schumer gets his way, she'll be the YOUNGER choice!
Susan Collins is 72 and if Schumer gets his way, she'll be the YOUNGER choice!
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Absolutely wild that congressional Republicans woke up today and decided to call millions of patriotic Americans terrorists. If you want to change your profile picture today to tell people you're showing up on October 18th, we've got you covered.
October 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Absolutely wild that congressional Republicans woke up today and decided to call millions of patriotic Americans terrorists. If you want to change your profile picture today to tell people you're showing up on October 18th, we've got you covered.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
The conversation between Klein and Coates showed me that a lot of people who screech about “infighting” on the left aren’t aware of the fact that marginalized people have been forced to learn how to regulate their emotions during conflict, and so, are better able to hear what’s actually being said.
October 2, 2025 at 2:39 PM
The conversation between Klein and Coates showed me that a lot of people who screech about “infighting” on the left aren’t aware of the fact that marginalized people have been forced to learn how to regulate their emotions during conflict, and so, are better able to hear what’s actually being said.
Reposted by Donna Shelton
I will start teaching my students how to use AI when my colleagues in computer science start to teach Homer, Dante, Langston Hughes, Borges, Foucault, Audre Lord, Spivak, and Donna Haraway in their classes
I realize many people don’t quite get that not every single professor in every single university teaches computer science and might actually be trained in and invested in teaching other things, like let’s say, history? Or poetry.
Or sociology.
It is not our job to teach students how to use AI.
Or sociology.
It is not our job to teach students how to use AI.
If you don’t teach your students how to use AI, you’re doing them a huge disservice because they won’t have jobs in the future.
September 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I will start teaching my students how to use AI when my colleagues in computer science start to teach Homer, Dante, Langston Hughes, Borges, Foucault, Audre Lord, Spivak, and Donna Haraway in their classes
Reposted by Donna Shelton
Ta-Nehisi Coates dropping such a beautiful articulation of a sense of #history and struggle that, I think, minority communities understand way more than, say, your average white American.
"I will make the contribution that I am supposed to make."
Write that on my classroom wall. 🗺️
"I will make the contribution that I am supposed to make."
Write that on my classroom wall. 🗺️
September 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Ta-Nehisi Coates dropping such a beautiful articulation of a sense of #history and struggle that, I think, minority communities understand way more than, say, your average white American.
"I will make the contribution that I am supposed to make."
Write that on my classroom wall. 🗺️
"I will make the contribution that I am supposed to make."
Write that on my classroom wall. 🗺️